Sweden

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged world leaders on Thursday to increase support for the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), which he says has no alternative in the world that provides essential services to nearly 6 million people.

Individuals aged 60 to 69 could play a crucial role in alleviating the European Union's labor market challenges amid an escalating demographic crisis. A report from Allianz Trade indicates that with effective delayed retirement strategies, the proportion of this age group in the workforce could rise from 9% in 2023 to 14.2% by 2040.

Cyprus is having a tough time improving its winter tourism, even though more visitors are coming and spending more money. The island's tourism officials are finding it hard to put together a successful plan to attract visitors during the colder months.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has drawn a connection between Türkiye's growing relations with the BRICS group of emerging economies and the country's long-stalled membership talks with the European Union.

Tourist arrivals in Cyprus reached an all-time high for August this year, with 554,923 visitors, surpassing the previous record set in August 2019 by 0.20%, according to data released by the Cyprus Statistical Service (CyStat) on Tuesday.

Compared to August last year, there was an 8.5% increase.

According to the latest Eurostat data published today, 6.8% of the European Union's population experienced severe material and social deprivation in 2023, a slight increase from 6.7% in 2022. The data highlights significant disparities among EU countries.

The European Commission is considering banning smoking in outdoor areas such as café terraces, bus stops, and zoos. This potential move aims to further restrict smoking in Europe, following the example of countries that have already implemented strict measures. Experts say this is part of a broader effort to protect public health.

Turkey and Sweden will hold their first meeting on Wednesday addressing a security pact the sides agreed to ensure Ankara's approval of Stockholm's NATO membership bid, a Turkish diplomatic source said on Tuesday.

Türkiye and Sweden will hold a key meeting to advance their security cooperation, especially against PKK's presence and activities on the latter's soil, in line with a bilateral agreement that allowed the Swedish admission into NATO.

In 2023, 6.8% of the EU population faced severe material and social deprivation 👪

Highest rate in:
🇷🇴Romania (19.8%)
🇧🇬Bulgaria (18.0%)
🇬🇷Greece (13.5%)

Lowest in:
🇸🇮Slovenia (2.0%)
🇨🇾Cyprus (2.4%)
🇸🇪Sweden, 🇱🇺Luxembourg & 🇪🇪Estonia (all at 2.5%)